Sinners in a Strange World
by BrokenButStillStanding
Summary: Bruce finds Stephanie attacked brutally on patrol one night. He starts to wonder if convincing her to hang up her vigilante cape was the biggest mistake he ever made as a new criminal arises that uses everyones comforts against them. TIMXSTEPH a bit of BRUCEXSTEPH
1. Chapter 1

The last thing Bruce Wayne expected to see on his patrol that night was the barely conscious body of a young woman laying broken in an alleyway. That wasn't particularly true, her was used to seeing that kind of stuff all the time. What he did not expect to see however, was the broken, barely conscious body of Stephanie Brown. But there she was, his old charge lay by a steel dumpster right off 32nd street. At first look he didn't recognize her, but after taking a closer look he couldn't hide his shock. After finally convincing her to (reluctantly) hang up her vigilante cape, he never expected to see her again. Especially not under these circumstances, her eyelids drooped as she fought a losing battle to stay conscious, her shirt was torn almost in half and lacerations and burns covered the skin he did see. A purple and blue bruise was forming on her cheekbone and the crimson pool wasn't easing Bruce's fears He grimaced as he pulled out his communicator, he really didn't want Tim to have to see this, he would only blame himself for not being there for her. But he needed backup.

"Robin, I'm on 32nd, we have a situation" he said vaguely. As he listened for Robin's affirmative he took a step closer to his ex-charge. At the sound of his footsteps her eyes snapped open and, upon seeing the bat, scrambled backwards as far away from him as she could get, irritating her wounds further. Bruce frowned, it wasn't like she didn't know who he was, why was she acting so scared? He took a step back and she relaxed to a certain degree, unblinking eyes never leaving his. Only moments later Tim appeared hurtling over the rooftops. As soon as he saw Stephanie, Bruce could almost hear the young mans heart drop. He and Stephanie had been over for a long time, but the boy still cared for her.

"What happened" he asked, and Bruce shoot his head.

"I don't know, I found her like this" he said. Tim took a step towards her and she stiffened, but didn't scramble away.

"Oh God Steph" Tim said softly "come on we need to get you help"

She shook her head and for the first time that night she spoke.

"I'm not going anywhere until I see his face" she said quietly. It took Bruce a moment to realize she was talking about him. Her index finger was pointed at the bat's chest, blood marring the tip. Bruce was shocked, she of all people knew why he couldn't do that. Tim looked at him, shock written across his features. After a long moment of deliberation, ignoring the feeling in his gut, with a pop that seemed to echo he lifted the face of the mask. He could physically see her shoulders slump in obvious relief as she allowed Tim to pick her up and set her gently in the batmobile. Thanks to the speed Bruce was driving, they reached the cave in less than five minutes and Stephanie was once again lifted up, this time set down on the medical table in front of a shocked Alfred. The three men silently went to work, Bruce rolled her onto her stomach as Alfred cut her out of her blood soaked shirt and the back of her sports bra. Tim audibly sucked in a breath and Alfred let out a shocked

"Oh my..."

Bruce himself could feel his insides turn upside down as they took a look at her back

Things were starting to make sense but at the same time brought up ten more questions. There on her back, stretching from shoulder blade to shoulder blade, was a gruesome carving of a bat.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hi thanks for hanging in there with me folks!  
ofbladeandbullets- thanks SO MUCH for your review! It is so encouraging when I get feedback that is more than just a 'good job'. (although those are good too)**

**enjoy!**

That night Bruce dreamt of the night Stephanie quit. After a particularly rough patrol for the blonde, she was back at the back cave being lectured by the bat himself.

"You could have been killed, you aren't invincible Stephanie!" he had yelled "rushing in against my orders -without backup might I add- proves exactly why you aren't ready to be a part of this family!"

"Family?" She yelled back at him, "all I ever get from you is criticism! I've never once gotten a 'good job' or even an 'are you okay?'" Bruce was about to offer a rebuttal when she continued going on her rant.

"If this is family, I want no part of it" she almost whispered as she tossed her batgirl mask to him. As she was almost out of the cave Bruce spoke,

"Stephanie" he called as the blonde turned back around.

"What" she bit. It was quiet for moment before he spoke his last words to her.

"Send the suit in the mail".

Sure enough, Alfred handed him a package a couple of days later that contained the black and purple suit. As the bat fell deeper into sleep the nightmares surfaced. Not about his parents, or Dick, Tim, Jason or Barbara like normal, but about Stephanie. He looked upon the scene as she laid on the floor, bloody splattered gruesomely on her back in the shape of the bat that haunted him. Standing over her was every villain he'd ever fought, one by one their faces melted away into a new one. Joker, Two-Face, Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Black Mask, Penguin, one by one they all appeared. The sneers on their faces haunted Bruce as his dream self was paralyzed in fear as he watched her bleed out.

When Bruce bolted awake he was breathing hard in a cold sweat, on edge. His digital clock flashed 1:28am in bright red letters as he threw his covers back. Silently, as to not wake any of the other slumbering members in the manor, he made his way down to the cave. Taking a seat at the bat computer, he thoroughly researched every villain in and outside Arkham for any signs of involvement. It seemed like only moments when Bruce looked up again, but the blood red clock flashed 3:05am in the corner. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, rubbing his eyes, trying to rid himself of the nasty headache that had surfaced. He couldn't explain it, but guilt was gnawing at his stomach as it had veen ever since he found the young woman the other day. His eyes travelled across the room to their newly renovated medical center. Before he knew where his feet were taking him, he was at the curtain, moving the soft fabric aside. She hadn't moved since he last saw her. She was on her stomach, blonde hair gently sponged clean of blood by Alfred's gentle hands. Her arms were angled at her sides, hands by her face. White bandages weaved in between the purple and blue bruises that stained her skin, as if someone had poured a jar of ink on her. The bandages bulked at her back, and though it was covered, Bruce could still see the bat as clear as day in his mind. The carving was sure to scar, the handiwork was brutal and precise in the cuts it had made. Bruce tried to tell himself that it was over fast but he knew logically that it must have taken hours. Perhaps that is why he felt so guilty. He took one last look at the broken girl in front of him before closing the curtain, so the only proof he had that she was still there was the steady beep of the heart monitor.

He was stupid to think she could just leave this line of work, even if she wasn't his ideal choice for batgirl she was in too deep. Tomorrow he would find out more about her assailant. Tomorrow the bat would strike with a vengeance, and he'd have batgirl with him.


	3. Chapter 3

Bruce was rifling through the papers scattered by the bat-computer when Stephanie woke up. He heard a soft groan from the cot and immediately turned around. There she was, blue eyes open and determined as she tried to sit up. Bruce walked over to the cot slowly

"How is that going for you?" he said with an amused undertone vibrating through his deep voice. He scared her, she hid it well but Bruce still saw the look of surprise that flashed across her face.

"I could use a little help bats" she said, voice almost painstakingly humored. Bruce grabbed her wrists and helped hoist her up. When she was finally in an upright position she sighed, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. They both spoke at the same time

"You were right" Stephanie said while Bruce said

"I want you to be batgirl again". They both sat in silence for a moment before speaking

"You WANT me to be batgirl?" Stephanie asked incredulously. Bruce nodded.

"What?" She asked, still reeling in shock, "you hate me!". Bruce sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't hate you" he said slowly, "You were reckless, impulsive, and spirited. That scared me Stephanie. I'd already lost Jason. Do you understand?" he explained.

Stephanie was quiet for a moment until she spoke again

"alright, but why do you want to bring me back now?" she demanded

"Stephanie, whoever this guy is he knows us. He tried to scare you, to scar you, not kill you. You are in this now, weather I like it or not" Bruce spoke.

A stony look crossed Stephanie's face

"You don't want me to be batgirl, you just need me around because I am literally _branded_ with your symbol!" she angrily accused. Bruce sighed, but he didn't deny it. If it wasn't for the injury he would have never asked her back. Stephanie scoffed at the silence before, much to Bruce's alarm, she got out of the bed. She winced as she stood up and slowly made her way to the door with nothing but bandages around her chest. Bruce reached out to steady her (and hopefully get her to lay back down) but she swung her arm out of his grasp and turned around.

"Well maybe I don't want to be batgirl anymore" she spat and Bruce stood stock still as she disappeared around the corner. He never considered...his mind was at a standstill. What was he supposed to make of this? For a moment he forgot all about the strange villain terrorizing his family, he forgot all about the bloodstained medical sheets, he forgot everything as his mind focused solely on ho confusing his former ward was. Stephanie Brown was quite possibly the most baffling woman he'd ever met.


	4. Chapter 4

That night Tim and Bruce scoured the city. Sounds of police sirens in the distance echoed through th streets, but no bat signal shone through the sky, and priority lay here. Tim was quiet as Bruce had ever seen him as he swept the area of Stephanie's attack, looking for anything of use.

"So she just said no? And left?" Tim clarified for the one-hundredth time as he searched.

"Yes" Bruce bit out, voice gruff behind the cape and the cowl. Tim shook his head

"That doesn't seem right, she loved being batgirl more than anything" he argued back for the one-hundredth time. Batman didn't even dignify him with a response as they moved to the next street.

"Women are confusing creatures Robin" he said nonchalantly, although he was a bit surprised at her decision. He expected her to jump right on board but thats not fair he supposed they had all wronged each other. It didn't matter now, they had bigger things to worry about, like the villain they were currently seeking. Another thing he didn't understand was that there had been little to no villains who stopped terrorizing people at one victim. Especially when he knew who the victim was and what they were. That left Bruce with only one explanation. One of them was next, and he'd be damned if he let that happen. As the pair were about to leave and start for the next alleyway a dark glint caught Bruce's eye. He kneeled by it and picked it up with his heavily gloved fingers. Staring up at him in a perfect replica of rubber and plastic, was his mask.


	5. Chapter 5

Red Hood felt confident, he rarely felt anything else but this time it was different. He'd been trailing this particular group of street thugs for a while now, he always loved to see the look of the utter shock on their faces when he pulled the trigger. Jason Todd was not a benevolent man when it came to crime, something his former mentor resented it. He was about to follow them into an old warehouse when he heard it. He tried to convince himself that it wasn't real, but the laugh sent shivers down his spine.

"Why so serious?" A voice whispered next to his ear, Jason whirled around, gun raised, but he didn't have enough time to move as a gleaming metal crowbar met his arm. For once the Red Hood wasn't confident as he hit the ground. He cried out in fear and pain as the crowbar came down again and again despite his feeble attempts at blocking it. Jason's head spun as his mind tied to make sense of the situation. The Joker was dead right? The crowbar clanged against his helmet. Bruce had been the one to kill him, hadn't he? The crowbar hit him hard in the gut. This could not be happening. Not again. But the sharp pain that came with each slam of the crowbar told him otherwise. He didn't know how long the beatings continued, but just as his vision swam with starts the hits stopped. A sneer crossed the bloodthirsty clown's lips , crinkling the white and red paint that decorated his scars as he turned and left. Jason lay there as long as he dared, his helmet cracked and his ribs aching. As he passed in and out of consciousness another memory hit him.

"If you ever need me-"

"I wont"

"But if you do-"

"I _wont_"

"Just listen. You may not like me, I may not agree with what you are doing, but your still my son".

Jason fumbled as he reached into his jacket pocket for the communicator he swore he would never use. He pressed the bat shaped button on the device and waited.

"Jason?" he heard the gruff voice of Batman over the system.

"You told me he was dead" was all he croaked out before Jason blacked out.


	6. Chapter 6

Stephanie had never met Jason Todd before. Sure, she knew his story but other than that conversation tended to veer away whenever his name came up. Maybe thats why she scrambled to Wayne Manor after Alfred called. She couldn't be blamed for curiosity right? Or maybe it was the fact that it seemed eerily similar to her own experience. Either way here she was, posed to knock on the great doors. Just as her knuckles were about to make contact, the door swung open a stoic looking Alfred staring at her.

"Follow me" he said as she scrambled ot keep up with his long strides "I must say it is good to see you again Miss. Brown, however bleak the circumstances" the butler warbled.

"Nice to see you too Alfie" Stephanie grinned. She really had missed him. She followed Alfred through the hall, surprised when they didn't turn to go to the bat cave like she had expected. Instead they stepped into a lavish sitting room that Bruce usually reserved for dinner parties. There they were, three bat-boys sitting in a row. Tim spotted her first

"Steph!" he called in greeting. The young man with the white lock of hair on the couch sneered at him

"Wow Timmy. Who knew you had it in 'ya, to land something like that" he goaded. This must be the infamous Jason Todd, Steph thought to herself.

"Stephanie, thank you for coming" Bruce said, eyes troubled

"Whats this all about daddy-bat?" she questioned over the two robins bickering. Bruce shot the two men a shriveling look and they quieted down enough for him to speak.

"Jason was attacked last night" he said.

"By the same guy who attacked me?" Stephanie almost whispered, leaning forwards in her seat.

"I don't know. Could be. Jason was attacked by the Joker. Only problem is the Joker is dead" Bruce monotoned.

Stephanie placed a hand on her cheek thoughtfully,

"I still don't know why I'm here" she stated.

Bruce sighed,

"Stephanie, this man isn't stopping. Who's next? Tim? Dick? Barbara?" he questioned "I know you don't want to, but we need all the help we can get".

Stephanie sat in silence, withering under the stares of the bats.

"Fine" she said "I'll help. But I won't be helping as batgirl".


	7. Chapter 7

Bruce sat on the top of Wayne Enterprises, black cape billowing in the cold air. She should be here any minute now. He wasn't sure what she had in mind when she said she would help not as batgirl, but he supposed he'd find out. He heard a small snap as someone approached him from behind. Bruce swung around to come face to face with none other than Spoiler. He could tell it was Stephanie from the way she stood, weight on her right leg as she cocked her hip to the side.

"Lets get to work" he said, grappling hook in hand.

"I'm great thanks for asking" Stephanie replied sarcastically. Bruce grunted in response and shot his grappling hook to the nearest rooftop. Stephanie sighed and followed, purple hood fluttering slightly. Bruce sighed. He'd never really gotten the chance to ask her this question, and he wasn't sure if she would bite his head off but he had to ask.

"Stephanie, what happened the night you were attacked" he asked bluntly. She sighed and he almost thought she wasn't going to respond when it all came rushing out

"I was walking home from the library. I didn't think about how late it was, I thought I could handle myself. After a while I turned down the street to take a shortcut to my apartment because it had started raining when I felt someone watching me. I turned around and there you were, well I thought it was you, it was Batman standing about thirty feet away from me just staring. I wasn't really sure what to make of it so I kept walking. All of a sudden you were in front of me, I asked you what you wanted but you didn't respond. I took a step forwards and I was on the ground in seconds flat, at this point I knew it was not you. I don't think you would be capable of doing that to a former teammate. He kept kicking me and kicking me and finally when I thought he was done he flipped me over and carved into my back. I screamed before I blacked out and when I woke up you had found me." Bruce was silent, he could see the connections flash through his brain, Jason and the Joker, Stephanie and the bat.

"Stephanie" he asked "are you afraid of me?"

She didn't have time to answer because at that moment his communicator crackled to life

"Bat, I think we've got out guy. 36th street heading east!" Tim's voice relayed. There would be time for confrontation later. Right now they had a criminal to catch.


End file.
